Food + Beverage

Black Flamingo Mai Tai

Article and Photography by Katie Currid If you stop by the Waterman’s Black Flamingo Underground Oasis in Northtown, chances are they’ll serve you this drink. Tiki isn't all about cocktails, but they’re definitely a part of the experience. Mai Tais can sometimes be a divisive topic among tiki aficionados, and this one adheres more closely to the original Mai Tai, meaning it's more rum-focused and doesn’t include pineapple juice, so it isn't overly sweet. Careful — it’s a stiff one!  Black...

Home + Design

Basement Oasis

The Black Flamingo home tiki bar is a full-on tropical escape Article and Photography by Katie Currid In tornado alley, a basement is a must. And if you have to go down to the basement for the inevitable tornado watch or warning, Jordan and Morgan Waterman’s house is the place to do it. Because if you have to shelter from the storm — well, wouldn’t you want to do it in a tiki bar? Pull up to Jordan and Morgan’s 1920s house in their quiet Northtown neighborhood, and you wouldn’t suspect...

Home + Design

Turn Over a New Leaf

Larry's Nursery gives tips on finding the right plant for your home Article by Reilly Atkins | Photography by Hannah Schreiner As we creep towards the cooler, darker months of fall and winter, we’re all looking for ways to bring warmth, life, and color into our space. Styling your home with houseplants can help you create a tropical escape from the harsh cold outside your door. For new houseplant parents, selecting the right varieties can be daunting. Finding the right specimen for your light...

Shopping

Where Happy Hour Never Ends

Meet the Kansas City brand turning vacation vibes into a full-blown lifestyle — one soft shirt at a time Article and Photography by Jennifer Kirby Vacation. Imagine the breeze blowing through your hair. A drink in your hand. Nowhere to be and all day to get there. Now imagine you’re wearing the softest shirt you own. Team Cocktail ’s shirts are softer.  In 2009, Lyndsey Fliehs, along with her brother Trey Fliehs and a group of friends (self-named Team Cocktail), traveled to Barbados. They...

Life + Culture

Etiquette: People Over Perfection

Top Ten Etiquette Tips for Children Article by Amanda Wagner | Photography by Angi’s Art LLC Manners are for everyone. The original purpose of etiquette was to make people feel comfortable in any situation. By establishing clear expectations, etiquette allowed individuals to navigate social settings with confidence. If you found yourself in a room full of strangers, you did not need to feel anxious or fear embarrassment; you knew the rules, and that knowledge provided reassurance. Etiquette...

Arts + Culture

Playfully Inspired

St. Joe’s new children's museum turns everyday play into imagination-powered discovery. Article by Diana Lambdin Meyer | Photography by Bruce N. Meyer There’s a new lemonade stand in downtown St. Joseph, perfect for visiting on a hot summer day or any time of the year. It’s not going anywhere. The lemonade stand has become one of the more popular activities at inspireU , a new children’s museum at the corner of Fifth and Felix streets downtown. Four stories of exhibits and activities...

Arts + Culture

Art Starts Here

Orange Easel gives young creators a space to explore, express, and thrive Article by Katie Currid | Photography by Courtesy of Orange Easel When Allison May Jensen launched an art studio in her basement in 2012, she had no grand plan — just a passion for art and a deep desire to give children what her childhood art teacher, Mrs. Funk, once gave her: a space to create freely and feel seen as an artist. From those humble roots, Orange Easel has grown into one of the Northland’s most beloved...

Home + Design

Kids Live Here

A Lake Waukomis home blends style with kid-friendliness Article by Katie Currid | Photography by Hannah Schreiner When Carly and Brady Skjervem bought their Lake Waukomis home in 2022, they knew it had the bones to become something special. As seasoned renovators, they’d gutted and overhauled homes together before, but this time was different. “This was our first house that hasn’t been a full reno,” Carly says. “The base of the home was so great.”  The Lake Waukomis home was actually the...

Local Services

Dizzying Heights

Locals of all ages build grit, trust, and belief in themselves at Altitude Sports Performance Article and Photography by Jennifer Kirby You walk into the Parkville Athletic Complex on a sweltering summer day to discover the sound of barked encouragement, clinking of sports gear, and the gentle hum of the air conditioning. The place seems mostly empty, but as you descend the staircase, you find a baseball team on one knee in a semicircle around their animated coach. He’s swinging his arms and...

Arts + Culture

Bentonville

The Northwest Arkansas city is more than Walmart's birthplace Article by Patrick Mulvihill | Photography by Anna Petrow Summertime is already halfway through, and if you haven’t piled into the family van and hit the open road, all hope is not lost. The great American road trip doesn’t have to take you to another time zone, after all—it could just take you south of the (Missouri) border to our neighbors in the Natural State. Just a three-hour drive from Kansas City, Bentonville in northwest...